Galway Saudi takeover deal hits rocks

27 October 2017; A general view of Eamonn Deasy Park after the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Galway United and Dundalk at Eamonn Deasy Park, in Galway. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The proposed Saudi Arabian takeover of Galway United is on the verge of collapse.

Almost two months have passed since the supporters' trust running the club voted in favour of accepting an offer from a pair of Saudi businessmen.

That followed on from an initial approach from the Middle East which led to a delegation from Galway travelling to Riyadh to meet the prospective owners.

It was suggested that Abdulrahman Al Nemer and Mohammed Al Ruwaite were ready to pump €500,000 into the First Division club in order to boost their promotion hopes as well as developing the underage ranks and finding a permanent training base.

The members of the Galway United Friends Co-Operative were handed an information pack with a blueprint for the future before voting in favour of the motion to cede control to the new group.

However, there was still a road to travel before any deal could officially go through.

It's believed that due diligence was completed, but concerns then grew when the process failed to accelerate beyond that point.

The Saudis have yet to make any public statement on their plans, and their intentions are now unclear. It has left Galway in limbo.

They were quiet in the summer transfer window and faced difficulty when it came to bringing in players on professional terms.

The Galway Co-Op held their AGM last night and members were informed that the takeover plan was in serious jeopardy - although the door was not completely closed.

But the supporters-run club are now seeking to add new members to their board in order to plot a fresh direction for the Tribesmen with little expectation that the takeover will now come to pass.

Galway are sixth in the First Division table and six points off the promotion playoff places with five games remaining.

They have endured a difficult season which has been complicated by local tensions with a row with Mervue over underage players leaving them without a training pitch.